Crime

Important Fraud Prevention Notice from Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc.

Published

2 years ago

March 30, 2024

Orange and Rockland Utilities (O&R) today warned its customers that crooks have launched a new round of predatory phone calls aimed at stealing O&R customers’ money. This latest round of harassing phone calls started last week when O&R customers reported a rash of phone calls seeking payment for bogus O&R bills.The scheme goes this way: Crooks posing as O&R employees call unsuspecting customers, inform them that their O&R account has been suspended for non-payment and that an O&R crew will be at their home in 15 minutes to disconnect their electric service.That threat is quickly followed by a demand for immediate payment of the bogus bill balance by prepaid debit card. Customers who have challenged the crook’s report about the fraudulent bill, saying that they checked their account balance online during the phone call, are dismissed as incorrect. The crook then aggressively renews the demand for immediate payment until the customer agrees to pay or hangs up on the crook.

Here are two big reasons not to believe any crook who makes a shutoff threat:

• NO PREPAID DEBIT CARDS – O&R does not accept bill payment for electric and gas utility bills by Green Dot or any other prepaid debit cards. Never has.

• NO IMMEDIATE SHUTOFF – Disconnecting O&R electric or gas service for non-payment of bills involves a multi-step process – including written communications from O&R to the customer over a period of several days, or even weeks — not hours. That process is regulated by the NYS Public Service Commission and NJ Board of Public Utilities.

Customer vigilance is key to fighting off these crooks.

Remember, if you are feeling threatened or otherwise uncomfortable about your security during the exchange, immediately report the incident to your local police department at 911.

Crime

Spring Valley Man Arrested After Body Found in Parking Lot, Ramapo Police Say

Published

3 days ago

April 21, 2026

Rockland Report Admin

SPRING VALLEY, N.Y. — The Town of Ramapo Police Department has arrested a man following the discovery of a body in a parking lot Saturday morning.

Officers responded around 7:15 a.m. on April 18 to 18 Park Avenue in the South Spring Valley section of Ramapo. They found a 30-year-old man’s body beneath a parked pickup truck.

Police said the parked vehicle was not involved.

Investigators from the department’s Investigations Unit and Crash Investigation Unit launched a joint investigation. They reviewed surveillance footage, conducted interviews, and collected evidence.

Later that day, officers identified and located a suspect vehicle in Chestnut Ridge.

Police arrested Manuel Milton Yantalema Parco, 36, of Spring Valley.

He is charged with:

Leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death (D felony)
Concealment of a human corpse (E felony)
Tampering with physical evidence (E felony)

Police say the incident happened during the early morning hours. Investigators believe the victim was struck by a vehicle and dragged.

According to authorities, the suspect then drove into the parking lot. The victim was removed from the vehicle and placed beneath a parked pickup truck.

The defendant was arraigned in Ramapo Justice Court. Bail was set at $500,000 cash, $1,000,000 bond, or $2,500,000 partially secured bond.

He was remanded to the Rockland County Jail and is awaiting a future court appearance.

Police said the incident appears to be isolated. There is no ongoing threat to the public.

Crime

Attempted Murder Arrest After Barbershop Shooting in Ramapo; Suspect in Custody

Published

6 days ago

April 18, 2026

Rockland Report Admin

Police in Ramapo have arrested a suspect in connection with a late-night shooting that left a man seriously injured.

According to the Ramapo Police Department, officers responded around 10:30 p.m. on April 17, 2026, to reports of gunfire at Veloz Barbershop. When officers arrived, they found a 59-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Emergency responders from Rockland Paramedics and Spring Hill Ambulance treated the victim at the scene before transporting him to Westchester Medical Center. Officials said he is currently listed in stable condition.

Authorities said the suspect fled the scene in a vehicle but was later located by a patrol unit from the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office near 150 West Eckerson Road. Responding Ramapo officers took the 50-year-old man into custody without incident.

The Spring Valley Police Department and New York State Police assisted at the scene. Investigators later recovered both the vehicle believed to have been used in the incident and the firearm at a separate location, with help from the Rockland County Sheriff’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

The suspect has been charged with attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, and criminal use of a firearm. He was arraigned before Judge Silva, who set bail at $750,000 cash, $900,000 bond, or $1,000,000 partially secured bond. The defendant was remanded to the Rockland County Jail pending a future court appearance.

Police said the shooting appears to be an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.